The Optimal Location of Nuclear-Power Facilities in the Pacific Northwest

This paper treats the optimal location of nuclear-power plants in the Pacific Northwest with respect to capital-construction, operating, and transmission costs. It presents a mathematical formulation of this two-product (peak and energy power) plant-location problem, using the simplex method in conjunction with a branch-and-bound process, and indicates a check procedure using Vogel’s approximation method in conjunction with an algorithm for solving the transportation problem and a branch-and-bound process. The paper gives results for demand-growth rates of 4, 5, 6 and 7 percent and alternative designs and their costs. It also discusses the stability of the optimal solution.